Life, 1913-02-20 · page 16 of 48
Life — February 20, 1913 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **tariff protection and corporate influence** on Congress. The "Imaginary Letter" is written by "The Tariff-Fed Trusts"—big businesses that profited from protective tariffs (taxes on imports). They're supposedly "warning" Congress against revising tariffs, claiming to support reform while actually demanding the status quo remain undisturbed. The satire lies in their transparent hypocrisy: they praise Congress's good judgment on minor issues (parcel post) to manipulate them into preserving lucrative tariff protections. The upper photograph, "The Man She Wanted," shows figures looking out a window at street life, illustrating the magazine's broader critique in the text below: newspapers celebrate a single wealthy child's social prominence while ignoring ninety-nine working children in factories—a commentary on media priorities and class inequality during the Progressive Era. The cartoon couple on the right appears unrelated domestic humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE MAN An Imaginary Letter EAR CONGRE i We understand you are seriously considering the re- vision of the tariff. Good! We are heartily in sympathy with your motives and desires. But—and we speak for some of the most respectable men in the community—we want to warn you against interfering with or disturbing business. And especially you must not disturb that great business structure that has grown up upon the safe and sane protective policy which your Republican forebears have established to the point of sanctity. In revising the tariff, therefore, we want you to exercise the same good judgment that you used in extending the parcel post. No business at all was injured by that beneficent provision. If you will go at the tariff in the same spirit, we shall be am- ply rewarded for the confidence we now repose in you. Yours affectionately, Tue Tarirr-Fep Trusts. HERE is more joy in the newspapers over the one child who is in high society than over the ninety and nine other children who are working in factories. SHE WANTED FA WALI ER: “AM 1 LOSING WEIGHT, OR ARE THESE YOUR TROUSERS, JANE?” comicbooks.com